PBS today announced that it will launch its first Online Film Festival and showcase of 20 short films from independent filmmakers. The selections include five POV short films: Seltzer Works, The Archive, This Gay and Age, Flawed and 34x25x36. The festival will last from Monday, February 27 to Friday, March 30 and can be accessed via the PBS Online Film Festival website and PBS’s YouTube channel.

SELTZER WORKSDirector: Jessica EdwardsThe last bottler in Brooklyn fends off the supermarket seltzer take-over and honors this simple drink’s place in history.

THE ARCHIVEDirector: Sean DunneThis is the story of a man and his records. Paul Mawhinney has amassed what has become the world’s largest record collection.

THIS GAY AND AGEDirector: Morgan WilcockProject VoiceScape filmmaker Morgan Wilcock examines the gay stereotypes that bombard LGBT youth, and the way these stereotypes affect the way we think about sexuality.

FLAWEDDirector: Andrea DorfmanThe story of a long-distance relationship with a man whose profession – plastic surgery – gives a woman plenty of fodder.

34x25x36Director: Jesse EpsteinGo behind the scenes at the Patina V Mannequin Factory in City of Industry, Calif., where the artistry, craft and marketing that go into creating “the ideal woman of the moment” — in plastic.

“The theme of the PBS Online Film Festival is ‘Watch Us Surprise You,’ as we think many will be surprised by the depth and breadth of video content that’s available on PBS.org,” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President of Interactive, Product Development and Innovation for PBS. “PBS and member stations have always been a home for independent film and we’re excited to launch this first Festival and introduce viewers to these diverse stories and voices.”

A People’s Choice award will also be awarded based on online voting. Visitors to the film festival site can vote for their favorite film by “liking” it either on PBS.org or the PBS YouTube channel. The overall winner will receive top placement on the PBS.org homepage, video portal and YouTube page, promotion on PBS’s social media channels and an official badge for the winning film’s site.

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POV (a cinema term for "point of view") is television's longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. POV premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and most innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has presented over 400 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.